Offence: The Coyotes scored 216 goals this season which ranks them 17th. Coyotes offence is led by the veterans in Whitney, Vrbata and Doan. The old guys had great years which surprised many. The Coyotes also have many young talented forwards such as Boedker and Brule who will be relied upon heavily if they enter into a high scoring shootout with the hawks. On D the coyotes have one of the young offensive Dmen in Keith Yandle who will log heavy minutes. Another solid offensive Dman is Oliver Ekman- Larsson.
The Blackhawks scored 248 goals this season which ranks them tied for 6th. The blackhawks have some of the deadliest snipers in the game and if you give them a little space they will burn you. The hawks top 2 lines are as good as any teams top lines and these guys will play alot. Marian Hossa, kane, sharp, toews will log minutes and will be hard to shut down. The Hawks have some great offensive dmen that will jump up and join the rush and this will be led by Duncan Keith who put up 40 points this season. Nick Leddy is a young Dman that isn't afraid to rush in. The pick up of Johnny Oduya at the trade deadline just makes this teams backend that much more dangerous.
Edge: Blackhawks
Defence: The Coyotes allowed 204 goals this season which was 6th best in the league. Dave Tippett is a coach that preaches Defence and the coyotes have found ways to win those one goal games. The coyotes don't have a superstar and are led by captain Doan on the forecheck. The coyotes are a bunch of gritty players and Raffi Torres will be the physical spark for this team. On D this team will be led by veterans Aucoin and Morris who will try containing the hawks firepower.
The Blackhawks allowed 238 goals this season which was 22nd best. The Hawks are a speedy team who will come in fast on the forecheck. Toews leads by example as this guy is a workhorse. The most hated man in Vancouver Dave Bolland will be this teams shutdown Center who has done a great job slowing down the top players in the game. The Hawks are led by Keith and Seabrook on D who will face the top line of each team and these guys are workhorses that will log 25+ minutes a game. Hjalmarsson will be another Dman that will bring some physicalness to the game.
Edge: Blackhawks
Goaltending: Mike Smith was the reason why the coyotes made the playoffs, this guy was insane this year. Smith posted a 38-18-10 record this season with 8 shutouts and a G.A.A of 2.21. Smith has appeared in 3 playoff games posting a record of 1-1 with a G.A.A of 1.00.
The Hawks have had some goaltending issues this year thats why there goals against total is high. The starter for the Hawks will be Corey Crawford who played solid in last year's playoff vs the Nucks. Crawford posted a record of 30-17-7 with a G.A.A of 2.72. Crawford has appeared in 8 playoff games and has a record of 3-4 with 1 shutout and a G.A.A of 2.26. If crawford struggles, Ray Emery will step in. Emery posted a 15-9-4 record this season with a G.A.A of 2.81. Emery has playoff experience and led the Senators to the finals in 2007. In 36 playoff appearances, Emery has a record of 20-15 with 3 shutouts and a G.A.A of 2.57.
Edge: Coyotes
Special Teams: The Coyotes powerplay ranked 29th this season cashing in 13.6% of the time. The coyotes gave up 6 shorthanded goals. The Coyotes penalty kill was the 8th best this year with an efficiency rate of 85.5% and scored 6 shorthanded goals.
The Blackhawks powerplay ranked 26th this season cashing in 15.2% of the time. The hawks gave up 3 shorthanded goals. The Hawks penalty kill was 27th with an efficiency rate of 78.1% and scored 7 shorthanded goals.
Edge: Coyotes
Key Players To Watch: Mike Smith and Keith Yandle for the Phoenix Coyotes. Jonathan Toews and Corey Crawford for the Hawks.
Final Prediction: This series is going to be tight and should go seven games. Mike Smith is going to have to be lights out for the coyotes to advance but I just don't see that happening. Blackhawks in 7.